Long ago, a clever monkey lived on a tall berry tree by the wide, shimmering river. Every day, he would pluck the sweetest berries and toss them down to his friend — a crocodile who swam lazily in the cool water below. The two became the best of friends.
The crocodile loved the berries so much that he began taking bunches home to his wife. She ate them eagerly and thought to herself, "If these berries taste this sweet, and the monkey eats them every single day — how much sweeter must the monkey's heart be?" She told her husband, "I want to eat the monkey's heart. Please bring it to me."
The crocodile was heartbroken. This was his dearest friend! But his wife kept insisting, and finally, with a heavy heart, he swam to the berry tree. "Dear friend," he called up, "my wife has invited you to dinner at our home! Please come — jump onto my back and I will carry you."
The monkey was delighted and leapt onto the crocodile's broad back. But as they reached the middle of the deep river, the crocodile's heart grew heavy with guilt. He could not keep the secret any longer. "Dear monkey," he said sadly, "I must tell you the truth. My wife wants to eat your heart. I am bringing you to her."
The monkey's heart hammered with fear — but his mind moved faster. He took a slow breath and laughed. "Oh, my foolish friend! Why didn't you tell me before we left? I always keep my heart hanging on the highest branch of my berry tree. I never carry it with me! We must go back at once and get it."
The crocodile, believing every word, turned around and swam back to the riverbank. The moment they touched the shore, the monkey leapt high into his tree and looked down from the safety of his branch.
"Dear crocodile," said the monkey, "a true friend does not betray you. You chose your wife's greed over our friendship. No creature can live without its heart — and today, you have lost something far more precious than that. You have lost mine."
The crocodile bowed his head in shame and swam slowly away, alone.
— The end. —